If you'd have said to me three months ago that I would be happily skipping into work at 8.30am every day to do admin and tidy I would have called you a a big fat liar. But here I am! And here I am in our beautiful new shop!
I'm sure most of you have seen this photos now or been in to visit us but here's one any way:
And that's only half the shop - compared to this!
Truly, it's been a wonderful and daunting, exciting and tiring journey. So far. Everybody else seems to have moved on to the next stage of what I can do in my quest for world domination but I'm happy to potter around here, tidying and sorting and enjoying the space (tidying is so much more fun when you can lay things out and not have to smoosh it back into a pile again every time a customer comes in). It looks like we're going to have to register for VAT - this means that we are a. serious. business. It means more scrutiny from HMRC and getting my accounts in every three months (which is laughable given the state of what mine look like right now...). To this end I spoke yesterday with a lovely and friendly accountant (who made me not want to die at the very thought of it) and in our chat I had the sudden realisation that actually, I've turned over in the eight weeks we've been open here, a third of what we did in the whole of last year. That is, in two months, I've taken what we did in four months last year. And suddenly, I got a whole lot gentler on myself. This has been tough. Amazing but tough.
I keep hinting on the other social media platforms that some stuff has gone wrong at home - there's a significant amount of serious illness involving family members all over the place and little Versace died, and technology has really let me down in very stressful ways and I'm so tired when I get home every night that I'm living in even more of a shit hole than I'm used to but the shop has been a haven. And the wonderful support coming from all over the place has been more than I could have ever imagined or hoped for.
And just as I was at one of my lowest ebbs - I found out that I'd been nominated for not one, not two, not three or four, but FIVE nominations in the British Knitting Awards. That was a heart stopping moment! Now I see who we're up against and I'm less sure that we can win in any category but the Best Yarn Shop in the Midlands (which is such a special category to win that I'm not sure it matters to me if I only ever win that one anyway) but I'm taking a leaf out of Verity's book who is gobsmacked and in awe of who she's been put up against and thrilled to just be part of it (she's up for three!). Voting isn't live yet but it will be here when it is.
But I have to be realistic. I can only do so much, and at the minute it has to be whatever's easiest and quickest to market the shop which means that my focus will be very much on the facebook group, the instagram, and youtube. I will get back to blogging but it isn't as instant as everything else and it isn't something I can do on my phone whilst I'm out having a fag or on the bus or in between customers.
Once again - thank you all for your lovely support - especially the people that come in just to sort wool and bring food (although, I pretty much won't need any more food for like three months). You are, each and every one of you, a massive and important part of Knit Nottingham and I do not undervalue that.
Thank you.
Love Eleanor. xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
